Voters disapprove of Trump in New Jersey, Virginia, California and other key races

In the first major elections of President Donald Trump's second term, voters in Virginia, New Jersey, California and New York are expressing broad dissatisfaction with Trump and both political parties, according to early results from the NBC News exit poll.

Most voters in this election are unhappy with the way things are going in the country today and continue to express concerns about financial and economic issues.

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The gubernatorial races in New Jersey and Virginia, along with New York's mayoral election and California's redistricting measure, highlight the first major election day of Trump's second term.

Tuesday night's election results will offer a first, albeit limited, window into what voters think of his efforts to reshape Washington and the country, providing clues to candidates on both sides ahead of crucial midterm elections next year.

How is Trump handling his second term?

Overall approval of Trump's job is underwater among voters voting for governor in New Jersey and Virginia, two states that have voted against Trump every time he has run for president. Majorities of voters who turned out for the 2025 election disapprove of the way Trump is handling his office as president: 55% in New Jersey, 56% in Virginia.

In New York's mayoral race, only 29% of voters approve of Trump, according to exit poll results, as do 36% in California. There, the Proposition 50 ballot proposal will decide whether the state will change its congressional map in response to Republican-led and Trump-pushed redistricting in Texas and other states.

How do voters perceive the Democratic and Republican parties?

Beyond the president's opinion, neither the Republican Party nor the Democratic Party are viewed particularly positively by voters this year.

In Virginia, New Jersey and California, more voters expressed unfavorable than favorable opinions of the Democratic Party. Views of the Republican Party are not as negative, but the party nonetheless was not viewed in favorable terms by a majority in any of the states surveyed.

A grim national outlook

Voters choosing new governors in New Jersey and Virginia have also expressed concern about the way things are going in the country these days.

In New Jersey, 65% say they are angry or dissatisfied with the direction the country is going, and only 33% say they are satisfied or enthusiastic.

In Virginia, 63% say they are angry or dissatisfied with the direction the country is taking, compared to just 35% who have a positive opinion of the country.

Economic concerns and cost of living

Voters in every state surveyed in recent weeks said economic problems or the cost of living were the most important issues facing their state. In Virginia and California, the economy is at the top of voters' list of concerns. And in New York, 56% of voters said the cost of living was the most important issue. In New Jersey, taxes and the economy were both high on voters' list of concerns.

Financial concerns emerged when voters described their own family's financial situation. In every state surveyed, most voters said they were either remaining stable or falling behind financially. Much smaller shares, in any state or locality, said they were ahead.

In several states, voters highlight specific financial difficulties

In New Jersey, a majority of voters said property taxes and electricity costs were major problems in their state. Overall, 60% said the state's economy was neither good nor bad. Only 38% rated it good or excellent.

In Virginia, where the government shutdown and federal budget cuts have affected many families this year, 6 in 10 people said federal budget cuts this year have affected their family's finances a lot (20%) or a little (39%).

A large majority of New York City voters said the cost of living was the most important issue facing the city: 72% said the cost of housing was a major problem, and 65% said the city's economy was not that good or bad.

Trump on immigration

Trump said he won in 2024 because of border and food prices. But voters today are divided over his actions on immigration.

Slight majorities of voters in New Jersey and Virginia said the Trump administration's immigration enforcement actions went too far, while a much smaller share of voters say they were about right or didn't go far enough.

Yet many voters are divided on how their state governments should cooperate with the federal government on immigration. In New Jersey, voters were more likely to say the next governor should not cooperate with Trump, although those opinions were divided along the candidate's preferences.

In New York, 61% of respondents said the next mayor should not cooperate with Trump on immigration enforcement.

In California, 59% said Gov. Gavin Newsom, the Democrat leading the fight against Proposition 50, should not cooperate with the Trump administration on immigration enforcement.

Voters cast their ballots Tuesday in Arlington, VA.Samuel Corum/Sipa usa virginia

Democrat Abigail Spanberger defeated Republican Winsome Earle-Sears for governor, NBC News projects, becoming Virginia's first female governor. Earle-Sears, the lieutenant governor, faced difficult political challenges, including federal budget cuts, a prolonged government shutdown, and an uncertain economic future for the state.

Many voters directly linked the cuts to Trump, whose approval is underwater in Virginia. Virginia voters also did not view Earle-Sears as favorably as his predecessor.

Term-limited Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin has been viewed positively by Virginia voters in exit polls: 55 percent approve of the job he is doing as governor. But Earle-Sears' approval is comparatively lower (46% have favorable opinions, 51% have unfavorable opinions).

Ultimately, Spanberger won over voters who expressed concerns about their personal financial well-being, one of the most important issues in the race.

Spanberger has also won over groups that are generally less confined. Moderate voters, independents and those with unfavorable views of the two major parties all came out in favor of Spanberger over Earle-Sears. Among those who didn't vote in 2024, Spanberger beat Earle-Sears by nearly double digits.

In New Jersey

Democrat Mikie Sherrill defeated Jack Ciattarelli in the race for New Jersey governor, NBC News projected, winning over a large portion of those who approve of current Gov. Phil Murphy (91%) and those who said their vote today was to oppose Trump (97%), according to an NBC News exit poll.

New Jersey voters ranked the economy as one of the most important issues, and Sherill won 6 out of 10 votes among those voters. They also expressed deep dissatisfaction with the direction the country was taking. 64% said they were dissatisfied or angry and of these, three-quarters voted for Sherrill.

Sherrill won the majority of voters in traditional Democratic blocs: voters under 30 (66%), those with incomes less than $50,000 (67%), women (59%), and college graduates (59%).

She was also propelled to victory by first-time voters (66%), Latinos (64%) and independents (52%).

The NBC News Exit Poll is conducted by SSRS, an independent research firm, on behalf of ABC, The Associated Press, CBS, CNN, Fox News and NBC. The networks prepare the questionnaire together. Further information about SSRS can be obtained by visiting www.ssrs.com.

The 2025 survey, carried out from October 22 to November 1. 4, includes representative samples of registered voters in California (n = ~4,000), New Jersey (n = ~4,000), New York (n = ~3,700), and Virginia (n = ~4,000). The Voter Poll combines data collected from registered voters verified online and by telephone with data collected in person from voters on Election Day in 30 precincts by state/city, excluding California. Respondents can complete the survey in English or Spanish. The overall margin of sampling error for voters, accounting for design effects, should be approximately plus or minus 2 percentage points in California, 2.1 percentage points in New Jersey, 2.2 percentage points in New York, and 2.1 percentage points in Virginia.

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